Automobile free wheeling device



March 22, 1932. F. Baum-16m 3 03 AUTOMOBILE FHEEYWHEELING DEVICE.

Filed Dec. 23, 1930 4 Shets-Sheet 1' I Inv'enior Fran/Eggs vrn/ By 4%... Y Aliomey March 22, 1932. F. BQDENHQ N 1,850,197

AUTOMOBILE FREE WHEELING DEVICE Filed Dec/23, 1930 4 Sheets-Sheet a fr nk ,Bdden/Zwzv Inventbr By 4% In Allorpey March 22, 1932. F. BODENHORN 1,350,197

AUTOMOBILE FREE WHEELING DEVICE Filed Dec. 23, 1930 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 By v i A tto ncy tional view taken Patented Mar. 22, 1932 j UNITED STATES PATENT oFmcE FRANK BODENHORN, OF FORT WAYNE, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR 01 ON E-HALF TO THOMAS B. PRESTON, OI FORT WAYNE, INDIANA AUTOMOBILE FREE WHEELING.DEVICE Application filed December 23,1930. Serial No. 504,389.

a The present invention relates to an auto mobile free wheeling device and has for its primary object to provide, in a manner as hereinafter set forth, a device of this character which is incorporated in the transmission of the automobile between the transmissionigears and the automobileclutch.

Other important objects of the invention are to provide a free wheeling device of the character set forthfor automobiles which will be comparatively simple in construction, strong, durable, eflicient and'reliable in' operation and which may be manufactured and installed at low cost. All of the foregoing and still furtherobjects'and advantages of the invention may be-] through the casing taken 9 come apparent from a study ofthe following specification, taken in'connection with theaccompanyin drawings wherein like characr tors of re erence designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, and wherein Figure 1 is a fragmentary view in vertical 7 longitudinal section through a portion of a transmission and clutch housingoshowing a .free wheeling devicein accordance with this invention, said device being also shown in v vertical 1ong1tud1nal sect1on.

. ,Figure 2 is a vertical cross sectional view taken substantially on the line 22 of Figure'l. a l a i Figure 3Tis a longitudinal horizontal secsubstantially on the line 3,-3,of Figure 1 a 1 Figure 4 is a cross sectional view takensub stantially on the line H of Figure 3.

Figurel5 is a vertical cross sectional view ure-3. 4a., Figure 6 is a fragmentary detail view in f vertical longitudinal section taken through i ,the intermediate portion of the deviceshowing'the automatic clutch in inoperative position to permit free wheeling of the automobile.

ta 'en substantially on the line 5-5 of Fig-- Figure 7 is a fragmentary view in verti cal longitudinal section showing the device locked to the clutch shaft ofthe automobile for rendering the device'inoperative.

5 Figure 8 is a detail view in vertical longiof the clutch shaft.

tudinal. section through the casing of the free wheeling device. Figure 9 is a detail view in vertical longitudinal section through the internal annular clutch part which is fixed in one end of the casing illustrated in Figure 8.

Figure 10 is a detail view section through the driving gear which is fixed on the rear end of the casing.

Figure 11 is adetail view in end elevation of the internal annular clutch part illustrated in Figure Figure 12 is a fragmentary detail view in side elevation showing the rear end portion principally in p l igure 13 is a vertical cross sectional view' substantially on the line 13 13 of Figure 8. I

Figure 14.- is a detail view in end elevation of the clutch device whichoperatively connects the clutch shaft to the casing.

Figure 15 is a view in side elevation of the clutch device illustrated in Figure 14.

Figure. 16is adetail view in section taken substantially on the line 1616 of Figure 14.

Figure 17 is a vertical cross sectional view taken substantially on the line 1717 of Figure 12.

Referring to the drawings in detail, it will be seen that the reference numeral l'designates a transmission housing to the forward wall 2 of which is bolted a clutch housing 3. As usual a removable cover plate 4 is provided on the transmission housing 1.

A sleeve 5 is formed integrally on the forward end wall 2 of the transmission housing 1 and is'horizontally and longitudinally disposed, said sleeve 5 having one end extending into the housing 1 and its other end extending into the clutch housing 3. A roller bearing 6 is operatively mounted in the rear portion of the sleeve 5 and is retained against forward movement in the sleeve by the spacing ring 7 which is disposed in the'sleeve 5 between the bearing 6 and the closure plate 8 which is removably secured on the forward end of the sleeve 5 and through which the clutch shaft 9 rotatably passes, a packing 10 being provided for the clutch shaft 9. The usual clutch operating sleeve 11 is splined on the shaft 9 100 and is actuated by a transverse, horizontally ries of recesses 39 of a configuration which disposed shaft 12 through the medium of the provides the abutments 40, as illustrated to usual fork 13. The reference numeral 15 inadvantage in Figure 80f the drawings. The dicates the usual spring which encircles the internal flange 38 on the casing 17 encircles a shaft 9 and has one end engaged with th collar 41 which is fixed on the rear end porfixed annulus 16 on said shaft 9 and its other tion of the clutch shaft 9 adjacent the antiend operativel'y engaged with'the clutch sleeve friction bearing 18. The collar 41 is pro- 11 for yieldingly urging the clutch of the auvided with a series of spirally extending tomobile toward its engaged positi ngrooves or channels 42 extending thereinto A substantially cylindrical casing 17 is'disfro it forward end and terminating in posed for rotation in the roller b ing 6 and spaced relation to its rear end, as illustrated the clutch shaft 9 terminates at its rear end t advantage i Fi 3 d 12 f th d in said casing 17 as illustrated to advantage in i A lutch or coupling ring 43 is mount Figure 3 of the drawihgs- Ahtl-flletlon ed for rotary and longitudinalmovement on bearings 18 and 19 are disposed 111 h a the collar 41 and has its inner periphery pro- Portion of the casing the bearing 18 reeeivvided with the diagonally extending lugs 44 ing the re r end p r i n of t clutch Shaft for travel in the spiral grooves or channels 9 and the bearlng 19 suppo g the P E 42 on the collar 41. The outer periphery of end of the drive shaft 20 of the transmission. th member 43 i id d ith a Series f in anti-friction heali g 21 15 mounted cesses 45 extending thereinto from one side 1h forward Pentleh of the (3351112 17 9 the thereof, said recesses 45 being of a configuraclutoh Shaft 9- Th r end of the 985mg 17 tion substantially identical to the configurahaS fOrmed thereon flange 22 for abutting tion of the recesses 39 in the internal flange 38 engagement wi h a flange 23 formed ihte' and providing the abutments 46 for engage greuy on dllve gear 24 which is constantly ment with the abutments 40 of the internal.

in mesh with the transmission gear 25 which flange The recesses 45 are di d is fixed on the counter-shaft 27 of the transversely with respect t h recesses 39 f th mission. Suitable means such as screws 28 seinternal flange 3 s d i h ll on be obvious. The usual spli ed gear 29 and .35 is operatively engaged by a fork 36v on the cure the drive gear 24 to the casing 17. The h member 43 d bl i k t drive shaft 20 of the transmission extends vided th f are the Spring pressed b k rommbly through the gear 24 into the bearelements 4.7 (see Figure 5 which frictioning 19 in the casing 17. The drive gear 24 1 th h f t constitutes means for retaining the bearings :7 {:gggif 8 Inner penp my 0 he casmg d f't' -l t' bet 18 and 19 in position in theifasing 17, as will Said casing f7 i 1 fg; 1i3 ween In 0 eration the lockin clutch art 35 is the drum gear 24 are proYlded wlth cphchhg shifted to the position illfistrated lab advanclutch elements 30 on their opposed sides for tage in Figures 1 and 3 of the drawings cohhhchhg the dnve shah 20 of the When the automobile is being driven by its mission directly to the clutch shaft 9 in the engine through the clutch shaft 9 to the hsual manner .hlgh p The i h transmission, the member 43 is shifted rearis moved longitudinally 1n the transmission wardly through the medium of the diagonal by the usual fork 31 on the slidable rod 32. lugs 44 inthe Spiral or cam grooves or chum forward end orhoh of the casmg 7 nels 42. It is understood, of course, that the ating faster than the casing 17 is internally recesse to receive the annular shaft 9 is rot 55 5?: fi gg ii gsi i ii ggzig and under such circumstances the brake eleg A g' P 35 is spnned on the clutch ments 47 which frictionally engage the casshaft 9 for en 'a ement with the clutch part I v. 33 for locking th casing 17 to the clutch shaft i Shift 9 h the shlfi'lhg 9 9 in a manner to render the free wheeling i mhm er 3 rearwardly h the device in0pemtive The baking clutch part er 43 is moved rearwardly the abutments 46 transversely disposed, horizontal rock shaft gig-t g t fi fi z 1h thls manner the clutch 37 which is manuall operable from the opi erators seat of the aii tomobile, the rock shaft ii sf iz figg i a g g g i g ggg helhg leulheled through theehlteh hens 25 and the countershaft 27 for driving the g Sleeve 5 and e pe 2 7 as transmission gears in the usual manner or lllustyated i eg 1h Flgure of t said gear 24 will drive the transmission gear drawmgs- It W111 be notedlthat the g' 29 directlythrough the medium of the clutch ing 17 will drag the member 43 relative to thereon engage the abutments of the ini he casing'17. The gear 24 clutch part 35 is enclosed in th Sleeve elements 30. Should the direction of force I Adjacent the anti' fri cti 0n bearing 18 and be reversed, as when the automobile is driftspaced from the anti-friction bearing 21, the ing down hill, the casing 17 of course, will intermediate portion of the casing 17 has its be rotated at greater speed than the clutch inner periphery provided with an internal shaft '9 and the member'43 will be rotated on flange 38 in one side of which is a sethe'clutch 'shaft9 and'thereby'm'oved forabutments 46 are out of the'path of the abutments 40 on the internal flange 38 and thus the casing 17 will be disconnected from the clutch shaft 9 and permit it to rotate at greater speed than said clutch shaft 9. As hereinbefore stated, when it is desired to positively lock the casing 17 to the clutch shaft 9, the lock clutch part is moved rearwardly into engagement with the annular clutch part 33 in the forward end portion of the casing 17.

It is believed that the many advantages of a free wheeling device in accordance with this invention will be readily understood, and although the preferred embodiment of the invention is as illustrated and described, it is to be understood that changes in the details of construction may be had which will fall within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed is g 1. In a free wheeling device for automobiles having a transmission including a' housing and a clutch shaft extending rotatably into the housing, a casing rotatably mounted on the transmission housing and rotatably encircling the clutch shaft, supporting bearings in the casing for the clutch shaft, one-way clutch means in the casing and on the clutch shaft for operatively connecting the casing to the clutch shaft for actuation thereby in I, one direction,

of the sleeve, bearmgsmounted in a gear fixed on the casing for operatively connecting the casing to the transmission gears, and manually operable means for positively locking the casing to the clutch shaft in a manner to retain said casing against rotation relative to the clutch shaft in opposite directions, the first named means comprising a collar fixed on the clutch shaft and having a plurality of cam grooves extending spirally therein, a series inner periphery of the casing disposed concentrically and in spaced relation tothe collar, an annulus mounted for longitudinal and rotary movement between the collar and the abutments' on the casing, spring ressed brake members carried by said annu us and frictionally engaging the casing, lugs on the inner periphery of the annulus-disposed for travel in the cam grooves in ments on the outer periphery of the annulus engageable with the abutments on the inner periphery of the casing.

In a free wheelin device for automobiles of the character ascribed, a transmis sion including a housin a longitudinally extending, V horizontally A disposed sleeve mounted on the forward wall of the transmission housing and extending into said transmission, a roller bearing mounted in one end portion of the sleeve, a substantially cy lindrical casing journaled for rotation in the bearing, a closure plate on the forward end the casing,

of abutments on the r the closure plate into the sleeve and the easing and journaled in certain of the hearings in the casing, a transmission drive shaft having its forward end journaled in the other of the bearings in the casing, a gear fixed on one and disposed in the transone-way the casing for operative] said casing to the clutch sha t by said clutch shaft in one diconnectin for actuation rection, a toothed annulus fixed ward end portion of the casing, and a manually operable toothed member splined for longitudinal movement on the clutch shaft and engageable with the toothed annulus for positively locking the casing to the clutch shaft. I

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

FRANK BODENHORN.

the collar, and ab'utin the forr. 

